Champion Re-write
by JohnnyCade4EVR
Summary: My version of an alternate ending to Marie Lu's Champion. ONE-SHOT


***okay, this will probably be a one-shot (and a super short one at that) of an alternate ending to Marie Lu's _Champion_ because I hated the ending :) now obviously that means spoilers... duh. It's going to pick up on page 347, second paragraph, you'll be able to tell when I start to change it. Btw, I found the cover image by using the advanced google search and selecting "free to use or share" so I did not draw that...***

The doctor's smile wavers. He adjusts his glasses again. "It's nothing we can't fix over the course of extended therapy. You see, the hippocampus region affects memories, both short- and long-term. It seems that Day's long-term memories-his family, his brother Eden, his friend Tess, and so on-are intact. After a few questions, however, it seems like he has very little recollection of both people and events from the last year or two. We call it retrograde amnesia. He remembers his family's deaths, for instance..." Dr. Kann's voice trails off uncomfortably here. "But he does not seem familiar with Commander Jameson's name, or the recent Colonies' invasion. He also doesn't seem to recall you."

My smile fades. "He...doesn't remember me?"

"Of course, this is something that can heal over time, with proper therapy," Dr. Kann reassures me. "His short-term memory abilities are working well. He remembers most things I tell him, and forms new memories without to much issue. I just wanted to warn you before you see him. Don't be startled that he might not remember you. Take your time and reintroduce yourself to him. Gradually, perhaps over a few years' time, his old memories will come back."

I nod at the doctor as if in a dream. "Okay," I whisper.

"You can see him now, if you'd like." He smiled at me like he's delivering the greatest news in the world. And he is.

But when he leaves me, I just stand there for a moment. My mind in a haze. Thinking. Lost. Then I take a slow step toward the hallway where Day's hospital room is, the corridor closing in around me like a foggy, blurry tunnel. The only thing running through my head is the memory of my desperate prayer over Day's wounded body, the promise I had offered up to the heavens in exchange for his life.

_Let him live. I am willing to sacrifice anything to make this happen._

My heart sinks, turns gray. I understand now. I know that something has answered my prayer, and at the same time has also told me what my sacrifice must be. I have been offered a chance never to hurt Day again.

I step into the hospital room. Day is alert, propped up on a pillow and startlingly healthier than the times I've seen him lying unconscious and wan over the past few months. But something is different now. Day's eyes follow me without a hint of familiarity in them; he's watching me with the polite, wary distance of a stranger, the way he looked at me when we first met.

He doesn't know who I am.

My heart aches, pulling at me as I drew closer to his bedside. I know what I have to do.

"Hi," he says when I sit on his bed. His eyes wander curiously across my face.

"Hi," I reply softly. "Do you know who I am?"

Day looks guilty, which only digs the knife in deeper. "Should I?"

It takes all of my effort not to cry, to bear the thought that Day has forgotten everything between us-our night together, the ordeals we've been through, all that we've shared and lost. We have been erased from his memory, leaving nothing behind. The Day that _I_ knew is not here.

I look into his pale blue eyes, newly stripped of pain. "You did. And you will. Do you think you can trust me?" I ask slowly.

He takes a minute to answer. "I guess."

I take a deep breath. I _have_ to do this. I hope with all my heart it will bring back the good memories first. Cautiously, I lean in close to him, and feeling his light breathing on my neck, I gently press my lips against his. My eyes are closed, but I can tell his are too.

I didn't dare push my limits, so I pulled away softly and watch him for a moment.

He stares back until, suddenly, his eyes light up with recognition. "June."

Now I don't bother to stop the tears that run down my cheeks. _He remembers._

He pulls me into a tight hug and I sob into his shoulder. "I was so scared. I thought you were-"

He cuts me off, "Hey, it's okay. I'm fine. Everything's gonna be okay now."

***so yeah I told you it'd be short :P I hope u liked it :) you can decide how the rest of their lives work out***


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